The present invention relates generally to electrical receptacle outlets and more specifically to a dual-purpose wiring device and method of wiring. The present invention is particularly suitable for, although not strictly limited to, receiving and electrically engaging one or more electrical conductors of a conventional electrical cable for ultimately providing electrical power to sockets selectively engageable by electrical plugs.
Conventional wall mounted electrical receptacle outlets typically include a metal or plastic box and a receptacle mounted within the box for receiving three electrical conductors of a conventional electrical cable. The terminal end of each conductor is usually mechanically fastened to electrical contacts of the receptacle, wherein the electrical contacts correspond to a conventional socket receptacle assembly. Moreover, removal of one or more knockouts formed on the box expose apertures through which ingress of a cable and egress of another cable is permitted. In the event of the latter, the ends of each conductor of such cable must be attached to the corresponding electrical connections of the socket receptacle assembly. Alternatively, additional conductors that are not mechanically connected to the electrical receptacle are usually electrically and mechanically secured to one another with a device known as a wire nut, wherein the stripped end of each conductor is secured to one another via a wire nut to provide electrical power and/or ground the corresponding electrical contact of the socket assembly.
Generally, a substantial amount of time and effort is expended in wiring a home with conventional electrical receptacle boxes. In preparation for wiring electrical cable, access holes are typically drilled through wall studs to allow the routing of electrical cables therethrough, and electrical boxes are secured to wall studs in their preferred locations by nails or the like. Thereafter, knockouts formed on the electrical boxes are removed to expose apertures for the ingress and egress of electrical cable therethrough. Electrical cable must usually be pulled through the access holes of each stud and then through designated outlet holes, whereupon individual lengths of the cable are cut to accommodate the looping of cable from one wire box to another. The use of ten electrical boxes, for instance, will generally result in ten separate lengths of cable between each electrical box.
To create an electrical connection between the cables and their respective wire boxes, the ends of each electrical cable are unsheathed to expose the three conventional insulated electrical conductors, wherein each individual conductor is then stripped and inserted into the electrical box for connection to electrical contacts therein. Any extraneous wiring not intended to be attached to the electrical receptacle is then secured by wire nuts and pushed back into the electrical box to ready the house for wallboard installation.
Following wallboard installation, mudding and painting, an electrician must usually return to complete the wiring and installation process of the electrical receptacles. Exposed wire ends of each conductor are looped and mechanically attached to each electrical receptacle, and each electrical receptacle is then secured inside the electrical box. The final step of the installation process is the flush attachment of the electrical receptacle cover plate with the surface of the wallboard. Often times however, due to poor workmanship and/or inattentiveness, the electrical outlet box is improperly aligned with the wallboard. The result is an aesthetically displeasing and skewed attachment of the cover plate, as no provision for aligning the cover plate with the wallboard was present.
Once power is applied, each receptacle is tested. Rectification of any problems associated with the testing process may involve tracing the malfunction to mechanical disconnections, removal of the affected electrical receptacle, tightening of mechanical attachments and/or reinstallation.
In addition to being a commanding and lengthy task, wiring a house or building is often very expensive, as the cost of parts and/or electrical cables is typically substantially less than the cost of labor. As such, by reducing the frequency of visits to a job site, stocking a single version of an electrical box, reducing the skill level of the electrician and corresponding labor costs, and/or reducing the time and effort expended in wiring a house/building, significant savings can be achieved.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a dual-purpose wiring device and method of wiring, wherein the dual-purpose wiring device can expeditiously receive and electrically engage uncut, sheathed electrical conductors of a conventional electrical cable, thus eliminating time-consuming and laborious prior art methods of having to first cut and unsheathe the electrical cable, strip the three enclosed electrical conductors, and then loop and mechanically engage each exposed wire of each conductor to three electrical contacts within an electric outlet receptacle mounted inside the electrical box, and thereafter having to repeat the same for each electric outlet receptacle box in a home or building.
Briefly described, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a device by providing a method of wiring a dual-purpose wiring device without the use special tools, wherein the dual-purpose wiring device can expeditiously receive and electrically engage one or more uncut and sheathed electrical conductors of a conventional electrical cable, thus eliminating the time-consuming and laborious task of having to first cut and unsheathe/strip each electrical conductor, and thereafter mechanically engage each conductor to electrical contacts within the electric receptacle outlet box.
According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention in its preferred form is a dual-purpose wiring device having a female member and a male member dimensioned to be received by the female member, wherein the female member preferably possesses pathways for retaining therein individual uncut and sheathed electrical conductors of an electrical cable, and wherein the male member preferably possesses receivers for penetrating each conductor and creating an electrical contact therewith.
More specifically, the present invention is a method of wiring and a dual-purpose wiring device having a female member dimensioned to receive a male member, wherein the female member preferably possesses pathways or retaining slots for the individual retention therein of sheathed and uncut electrical conductors of a preferably conventional electrical cable. The primary insulative sheath that typically collectively surrounds all three electrical conductors is preferably first removed so as to expose the three sheathed/insulated conductors and to thereafter allow their individual placement and retention within their respective pathway or retaining slot of the female member. The male member preferably engages the female member, whereupon receivers within the male member preferably engage and penetrate the sheathing/insulation of each respective conductor, thus accessing the wires contained therein and creating an electrical contact therewith. Each receiver preferably corresponds with a prong of a conventional grounded three-prong plug, thereby permitting the plug to electrically connect with the corresponding electrical conductors upon insertion of the plug into a socket. As such, all of the conventional steps of stripping, cutting and mechanically attaching the electrical conductors to an electrical outlet box are eliminated.
Each receiver of the male member may include one or more spring-loaded tangs for receiving and electrically connecting an additional conductor of another cable. A positional cover-plate is placed flush with the surface of the wallboard surrounding the dual-purpose wiring device and preferably accommodates for any misalignment of the device relative to the surface of the wallboard via positioning studs. A preferred fastening means is provided on each dual-purpose wiring device to permit side-by-side and/or back-to-back mounting of a plurality of dual-purpose wiring devices, wherein a single uncut cable can be serially routed through each dual-purpose wiring device. To enhance routing of cables through a wall, a notch or slot is preferably cut in the side of each stud to receive a cable, whereupon a retainer preferably engages the slot and maintains the cable securely therein, thus eliminating conventional hole boring into each stud and the threading of each cable therethrough.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide electrical power to an outlet without requiring the cutting and/or stripping of individual conductors of an electrical cable.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is the security and safety provided through utilization of uncut cable.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to eliminate the extraneous process of having to strip and mechanically fasten conductors to their respective electrical receptacles.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be easily installed without use of special tools.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be easily installed using one continuous electrical cable, and to be easily electrically connected by eliminating conventional processes of cutting, stripping, looping and mechanically connecting each electrical conductor to an electrical outlet receptacle box.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to expeditiously provide electrical connection between an electrical socket and uncut/unstripped electrical conductors connected therewith.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to reduce stocking requirements for wholesalers, retailers and electricians by eliminating the need for wirenuts as they relate to wiring receptacles, and reduce the stocking of both single and multiple receptacle electrical outlet boxes by providing a dual purpose wiring device that can be mounted side-by-side and/or back-to-back in multiple configurations.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to reduce the number of component parts required for its manufacture, thus substantially reducing the cost of the device as compared to conventional and available electrical receptacle boxes.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be installed with minimal instruction and with substantial ease, thus lowering the requisite skill level and associated cost of the installation electrician.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide a means for easily and consistently mounting a cover plate flush and square with an electrical outlet box.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide an apparatus and method of wiring that eliminates the need of wire nuts typically utilized in conventional methods of wiring a home.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide an apparatus and method that facilitates the joining of a plurality of electrical boxes in series without the need for additional attaching means or tools.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to reduce labor costs typically associated with electrically wiring a house, building or similar facility.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide a method for inexpensively wiring a house, building or similar facility.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims when read in light of the accompanying drawings.